A section of the Central Executive Committee of the ruling party is mooting an idea of fronting West Budama County South Member of Parliament, Marksons Jacob Oboth for the position of speaker of parliament.
Marksons Jacob Oboth commonly known as Jacob Oboth-Oboth is the chairperson of the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee
Oboth-Oboth was instrumental in among others, the 2018 Age limit bill which saw the expunging of both the lower and upper presidential age limit of 75 years and 35 years and hence giving a leeway for president Yoweri Museveni to contest in the 2021 presidential elections.
The election of a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament is the first activity of the assembly after the administration of oaths after being gazetted by the Electoral Commission as winners of January 14, 2021 parliamentary elections.
According to Article 82 of the 1995 Constitution, the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament shall be elected by Members of Parliament from among themselves.
According to a source at parliament, there is a new proposal being crafted within the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
According to the proposal, CEC is concerned why the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga and her deputy Jacob Oulanyah are so interested in the speakership so much and worried about the divisive politics in the country.
According to the proposal, the source said that CEC wants Oboth-Oboth to leave the position of Deputy Speaker which he is vying for but go for the post of speaker.
“Oulanyah could be named the Attorney General in the next government and Kadaga Vice President. To resolve standing conflict and divisive politics within the NRM,” the source said.
Kadaga is every other day hitting at Oulanyah labeling him among others a coward who declined to preside over the age limit debate. Oulanyah has since declined to relent in line to achieve his political goals.
Earlier this month, Kiboga district woman MP who doubles as Chief Whip, Ruth Nankabirwa was dragged into Kadaga-Oulanyah row on the floor of parliament after some members claimed that she was campaigning for Oulanyah.
Nankabirwa denied the claims saying she was just reminding MPs of the 2016 CEC resolution to the effect that Kadaga was to serve only ten years and pass on the baton to Oulanyah.
The speakership race has three candidates; Kadaga, Oulanyah and Kira Municipality MP Ssemujju Nganda.
The MPs vying for the position of Deputy Speaker are; Bukedea Woman MP Anita Among, Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko, Ruhinda North MP Thomas Tayebwa, Theodore Ssekikubo, the Lwemiyaga County MP , State Minister for Finance David Bahati and Gomba West MP Robina Gureme Rwakoojo.
